(Note: this post was originally published on June 16, 2022. It has since been updated with a few tweaks.)
I'm excited to share with you a very unique and nostalgic gin cocktail. It's earthy, herbaceous, fruity, complex, and sweetened with a bit of honey. I call it "Ginnie The Pooh"!
My inspiration for this cocktail is the forest, and more specifically the Hundred Acre Wood, which is the forest in the Winnie The Pooh books. There's fruitiness from muddled blackberries, herbaceousness from thyme, earthiness from bitters, and a bit of sweetness from honey. All of these flavors are enhanced with gin, which is itself complex, then kissed at the end with some ginger beer for a pop of bright flavor.
Although far from classic, this gin cocktail is just plain fun. It has a lovely bright color, a diversity of flavors, festive fizz, and eye-catching woodsy garnishes. This would be the perfect cocktail for Winnie The Pooh since it contains his favorite ingredient: honey. (Also Winnie likes gin, right?).
We can't talk about Winnie The Pooh without talking about honey (or as he spells it, hunny). Honey enters into this drink in two ways. Barr Hill Gin, one of my favorite local Vermont products, is actually distilled from honey. It gives the gin a lovely, complex, and balanced flavor. You'll also make a quick honey thyme simple syrup to sweeten the drink because Winnie The Pooh would much prefer a honey simple syrup over a regular simple syrup (obviously).
This Winnie The Pooh cocktail relies upon a simple syrup to get all that wonderful honey flavor into a drinkable form. If you've never made a simple syrup before, don't let the name intimidate you. It's easy to do at home and a simple syrup keeps great in the refrigerator for weeks.
A simple syrup is just a 1:1 mixture of sugar (or in this case honey) and water, cooked down until it becomes thick and syrupy. It's a great way to capture flavors that are difficult to get into a liquid form otherwise. Because honey is very sticky and thick, you can't readily add it to a cocktail; it won't dissolve. That's why virtually all cocktails involving honey rely upon a honey syrup.
To make the syrup for this Winnie The Pooh cocktail, you'll just combine honey, water, and fresh thyme in a saucepan, then cook it down until the syrup is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. You'll notice that it will turn a pale green color as the fragrant oils from the thyme become infused into the liquid. It will be subtly flavored, but the thyme should be identifiable.
Here's what you'll need for this Winnie The Pooh cocktail, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
If you enjoy gin cocktails, I have a lot here on the blog for you to explore.
For something light, fizzy, and perfect for spring or summer, try this Honey Fig Gin and Tonic or this Purple Rain (a gin and tonic riff inspired by the song from Prince). For a smaller-format summery sip, check out this Blackberry Limoncello Gin Smash or this Watermelon Mint Gimlet (both of those cocktail recipes have larger-format variations in the blog posts too).
Looking for cozier flavors? This Maple Rosemary Gimlet is versatile and perfect for either spring or fall. For the ultimate comforting sip, this Ginger Bees Knees, a riff on a classic prohibition-era Bees Knees cocktail, uses aged gin and is ideal for a chilly winter night.
Are classic cocktails more your speed? If so, then you'll love The Last Word cocktail, which is both historic and iconic.
I'm a firm believer that cocktails should be fun. If you agree, then I can't wait for you to try this whimsical Winnie The Pooh cocktail. It's eye-catching thanks to the bright purple-pink hue and forest-inspired garnishes, but is also delicious, complex, and interesting. It works well year-round thanks to the diversity of flavors.
If you're looking for me, I'll be with Winnie The Pooh, enjoying one of these as we stroll through the Hundred Acre Wood.
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
Maple Rosemary Cayenne Roasted Nuts
Orange and Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash
This seductive gin cocktail, which is inspired by the forest, features juicy blackberries, woodsy thyme, sweet honey, and earthy bitters. It's Winnie The Pooh's favorite cocktail!
For the Honey Thyme Simple Syrup
For the Cocktail
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
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